Sky Bet Championship: Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka admits cup hangover after draw with Charlton
Sunday 28 September 2014 21:20, UK
Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka admitted his side's epic midweek penalty shootout at Anfield might have been a factor in their goalless Sky Bet Championship draw at Charlton.
The north-east side did the Championship proud before eventually bowing out of the Capital One Cup 14-13 on penalties against Liverpool.
And they came back down to earth on Saturday afternoon in south London after finishing the game with 10 men at The Valley following Albert Adomah's 82nd minute dismissal for two yellow card offences.
Karanka said: "It was difficult for us, not just in the last 15 minutes because we played 120 minutes on Tuesday and this. I am very happy with the performance because I knew how difficult this game would be.
"Everybody was very excited after our game at Anfield, and when you are excited then you can lose your concentration and we were brilliant again.
"I told my players after Tuesday that I was very proud of the players and I am again today."
The Boro chief added: "It was fair today because neither team had many chances. It was difficult for us because Charlton is a good, unbeaten team and big sides have lost points and other teams will as well.
"We have to keep going in this way and adding more points to our total, starting on Tuesday. It was not only physical tiredness but it affected our mentality.
"When you play in the way that we did at Anfield, it is difficult to come back the way that we did in the league. In the past we lost this kind of game in the last minute, through a set piece."
Charlton were much better in the second half, something which pleased Valley head coach Bob Peeters after witnessing his unbeaten team fade alarmingly after the break in their three previous Championship encounters.
The Addicks boss said: "I think the second half especially we've been working on that because before we were playing very well in the first half against Watford, Wolves and Rotherham.
"In the second half we were switching off (in those three games). We had a good shape in the first half and we pushed on in the second half.
"I think we pushed them all the way to be very, very happy with a draw because if you see the shot from Frederic Bulot comes off the inside of the post, then a clearance of the line in the last minute, a shot from Lawrie Wilson and a few other chances.
"We did everything to win the game today but the only thing we lacked was a goal."
Peeters also denied he had demanded Adomah's dismissal from the touchline after referee Gavin Ward had initially awarded a free-kick in the Boro player's favour following his dramatic late clash with Rhoys Wiggins.
"I was shouting because I thought it was a foul. It is the referee's decision whether it is a yellow card but first of all he gave the decision against us and that was when I went a bit angry. He apologises and says 'okay, it is a foul for you'.
"For me if it was a sending off that is the referee's decision. I was not shouting for a card or whatever, I was just shouting for a foul in our favour."
